SONOKO SAKAI

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Just got back from the Bay Area teaching tofu and nabe workshops. I had a few days to breathe in Tehachapi, play with my dog Ana and do laundry. Now I am headed to Seattle where I will be teaching tofu athttps://thepantryseattle.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> the Pantry in Ballard. I am looking forward to teaching in the new kitchen. I also get to hang out with my son Sakae and my daughter-in-law, Binah in Seattle. All three workshops are sold out!

I am so please to tell you about the feature soba story in Saveur March issue by Francis Lam. I counted 15 pages with my recipes and pictures. Francis' story is very moving. Here is the link to the story.

Two summers ago, I ressurected my interest in baking bread. The last time I baked bread was when I was in highschool. There was a picture of me holding my sourdough bread but unfortunately, it vanished. I hope it resurfaces again. I recall the bread came out as hard as a rock. Still, I was proud that I baked bread. I don't remember how it tasted, it was more about how tough it was. My jar hurt. I am nott sure what I did wrong but the dough went through a lot of k...

My flowering pear tree in the patio is in full bloom and my grapefruit tree is heavy with fruit. The weather has been so warm, it feels like summer is already here, but let’s hope for more rain. Some exciting things are happening in my kitchen. Last year, writer Francis Lam did a two day soba immersion class with me and wrote about it. The story is featured in the March issue of Saveu...

If you haven't tasted fresh tofu, you got to do it at least once. You will realize that what you have been eating all this time, the commercial stuff that is, doesn't have any flavor at all. Fresh tofu is made and eaten on the same to enjoy its full flavor.

Join me on February 6 from 10-130p and 3-6pm in Highland Park. E-mail me to register - [email protected]

The Onigiri story I worte a few years ago for the Los Angeles Times was the catalyst for writing the cookbook RICECRAFT. Now there are a lot more people who know what onigiri is. and enjoy eating it. This recipe was suggested as aweekend project. It's Friday, so it...

My new cookbook titled Ricecraft is all about Onigiri. It will come out in the fall of 2016. Onigiri is a portable finger food made of rice. The rice is shaped into a ball by hand. It is usually seasoned with a little salt and stuffed with something savory like a piece of chicken or grilled salmon, and wrapped with crispy nori. Onigiri is what my mother made for me when I was hungry. It is also the darling of the convenient stores in Japan. There are thousands of varieites. Since ...

It's nice to get away from Los Angeles. We visited the old mining town of Randsburg, Ca - in the Mohave desert (circa 1865) -now a weekend spot that brings mostly bikers. Sakai had once considered buying property around here to build his studio. Randsberg was found during the gold rush and when the rush ended, it turned into a ghost town that it is now. We stopped for a beer at t...

One more chance to learn Hoshigaki - the art of drying persimmons from me. Second class will be offered this Sunday, November 1, from 3-5pm in Highland Park. To register, contact, [email protected] Fee $70. There will be homemade shrub and persimmon bread to munch on while making the hoshigaki.

It is that time of year to cook in a donabe - Hot hearty soups right at the table. I am teaching a Shabu Shabu class this Sunday, October 18 from 11-2pm. Let's swish and swash those meat and vegetables in a beautiful umami rich broth. We will finish with homemade ramen noodles. What a way to start the Fall! To register, e-mail me at [email protected] Fee $95